Polis gives support to north I-25 coalition

Regional leaders hope to have the highway expansion project in the Federal Transportation Bill reauthorization

By Jessica Maher

Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

Posted:
03/19/2014 12:12:33 PM MDT

Jared Polis, D-Colo., center, speaks Wednesday to Loveland city councilor Joan Shaffer and Mayor Cecil Gutierrez on Wednesday after meeting with the North I-25 Coalition at the Loveland Chamber of Commerce. (JESSICA MAHER / Loveland Reporter-Herald)

Members of a coalition lobbying for expansion of the north Interstate 25 corridor added Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., to their list of advocates on Wednesday morning.

Polis met with members of the North I-25 Coalition at the Loveland Chamber of Commerce, where the 2nd District congressman heard about the goal of the group that formed last year. The coalition includes elected officials and leaders from 14 communities along the corridor.

"Every community from Thornton to Fort Collins are all included and participate in our coalition, with the single mission of really looking at how do we get that third lane from Highway 66 (Lyons, Longmont and Platteville exit) up to Highway 14 (Mulberry Street exit in Fort Collins)," said Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer, who chairs the coalition.

Members have balked at the Colorado Department of Transportation's plan to convert a currently free lane between Colorado 7 (the Brighton exit) to Colorado 66 into a toll lane to accumulate revenue to make improvements to the highway by 2075.

Citing a critical need for a third lane along the corridor, coalition members are pushing for the project's inclusion in the Federal Transportation Bill, which is scheduled to be reauthorized by Congress this fall.

The coalition has turned to Polis and other members of the federal delegation for help spreading the word.

With an Environmental Impact Statement in place that lays out plans for the $1.2 billion north I-25 reconstruction and regional collaboration on expansion, Polis told coalition members that he's "ready to go to work" for the project.

Advertisement

"In terms of being ready to go, it will certainly be my top transportation priority in the district," he said. "We're here to help and do what we can for the federal piece," he said.

While the coalition is currently focused on just getting the project into the reauthorization bill where it will have a chance to compete for funds, it's unclear what that federal piece would be, Kirkmeyer said. The coalition has also discussed creating urban renewal areas and using tax-increment financing to build out the infrastructure.

The full project — which includes expansion and rebuilding of the interchanges along the corridor — would likely call for some type of public-private component, Polis said.

The regional business community is also on board with the effort, with a business coalition around I-25 issues in the works, according to Loveland Chamber of Commerce President Mindy McCloughan. The current state of the interstate and the bridges along north I-25 impacts existing businesses and potential new ones, Loveland mayor Cecil Gutierrez said.

"We've got some serious private investors who want to invest in this area, but it's a problem," Gutierrez said.

Walt Elish, president and CEO of the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp., said it's both an economic development and transportation issue.

"The further we get away from DIA (Denver International Airport) time-wise, the more it's going to be difficult to maybe retain some of our businesses but attract the kind of businesses that we know would be a good fit for this region," Elish said.

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story